Dispensing containers for refrigerants



1960 s. R. NUSBAUM DISPENSING CONTAINERS FOR REFRIGERANTS Filed Oct. 27,1958 lNvENyR 6'. E. 4/; an)

@ 13 ATTO R N EY United States Patent DISPENSING CONTAINERS FORREFRIGERANTS Simon Richard Nusbaum, Wynnewood, Pa., assignor to PenncoEngineering Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaFiled Oct. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 769,918

Claims. (Cl. 222-4) This invention relates to dispensing containers forrefrigerants.

In the dispensing of pressurized refrigerants, and particularly thefluorinated hydrocarbons such as Freon, in some systems the refrigerantis required to be introduced in gaseous form for charging the systemwhile in other systems the refrigerant is required to be introduced inliquid form.

No wholly satisfactory dispensing container has heretofore beenavailable for this multiple purpose. Certain of the dispensingcontainers heretofore available did not permit of access to thedischarge control valve when the container was positioned for liquiddelivery, or were unstable and incapable of self support at the end atwhich the control valve was located, or had other objectionablecharacteristics.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide adispersing container for pressurized refrigerants which may be used witheither end up as required, and which with the valved end at the bottomis disposed and supported to permit of access to the valve for controlof the dispensing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispensingcontainer for pressurized refrigerants and the like which is stable forsupport by either end and which has accessible provisions at one end forcontrolling .the dispensing of the contents in whichever selected andend supported position the container is placed.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide a dispensingcontainer for pressurized refrigerants which can be readily stacked witha plurality of like containers for reducing the space required forstorage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispensingcontainer for pressurized refrigerants having at one end thereof acollar for positioning the remainder of the container with respect to asupporting floor or the like, which has provisions for aiding inhandling the container in the form of a built-in handle on the collar,in which the collar provides easy access to the valve from one side ofthe container for controlling the dispensing.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will beapparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be morereadily understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

Figure l is a vertical central sectional view of a dispensing containerin accordance with the present invention in one position for use;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view of the dispensing containerof Fig. 1, rotated through an angle of ninety degrees and turned toanother position for use;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view as seen from the top'of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view, as seen from the bottom of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in l atented Oct.18, 1960 section illustrating one mode of stacking the dispensingcontainers in accordance with the invention.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the dispensingcontainer in accordance with the invention preferably includes afluid-tight container 10 of sheet metal of suitable thickness towithstand the pressures encountered in use and, as illustrated, is madeof two similar parts 11 having circular cylindrical wall sections 12 inmeeting relation and with a suitable welded joint 13 at the meetinglocations. End heads 14 and 15 are provided, outwardly dished orconvexed, and formed as extensions of and integral with the wallsections 12.

The end head 14, in offset relation to the longitudinal axis of thecontainer 10 is provided with a spud 16 in which a fusible safety plug17 is mounted for release upon attaining excessive pressures in theinterior of the container 10. The other end head 15, in alignment withthe central longitudinal axis of the container 10 is provided with aspud 18 within which a dispensing needle valve 20 is mounted in threadedengagement. The valve 20 is provided with a rotatable handle 21 formanual operation and a side discharge connection 22 for the delivery ofthe material to be discharged transversely with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the container 10.

The end head 14 is provided with a circular rim or flange 23 extendingtherefrom concentric with the side wall sections 12 which may be curledinteriorly for added strength and which has an end marginal edge 24 toposition the end head 14- at a distance from any surface with which itis in engagement and serves to protect the safety plug 17. The flange 23provides for supporting the container with the end head 14 downwardly,if desired The opposite end head 15 is provided with an elongated collar2'5, arcuate in transverse cross section, and of a length,longitudinally considered, beyond the handle 21 of the valve 20'of theorder'of one and three quarters to two inches, for purposes to beexplained.

The curved part of the collar 25 is preferably of lesser diameter thanthat of the flange 23 at the opposite'end, but is of sufficient size toclear the safety plug 17 upon stacking, as hereinafter explained.

The collar 25 is provided with a side opening 26 towards which thedischarge connection 22 of the valve 20 is disposed for side access andmay be provided with spaced sidewise extending parallel wings 27integral therewith if desired,

The collar 25 is secured to the end head 15 in any desired manner,preferably, by welding. The collar 25 at the side opposite the opening26 is provided with a slot 28 having a curved margin 29 towards the endhead 15 and a straight margin 30 away from the end head 15 and with anoutwardly curled handle rim 31 to provide a handle for manual handlingof the container. The outer or end margin 32' of the collar 25 positionsthe end head 15 at a distance from any surface with which it is inengagement so that the collar 25 supports the container 10 with easyaccess to the valve handle through the side opening 26 for regulatingthe discharge of the refrigerant. Y V

7 The mode of use will now be explained.

In the dispensing of pressurized refrigerants, and particularlyfluorinated hydrocarbons such as Freon, for some purposes it is desiredto introduce the refrigerant in gaseous form into the system to becharged. For this purpose the container 10 can be positioned as illus- 1end margin 32.

trated in Fig. 1 with ready access to the handle 21 of the valve eitherthrough the opening 26 in the collar 25 or at the open end of the collar25 surrounded by the The exact amount of refrigerant to be charged canbe readily controlled by manipulation of the valve 20 by turning of thevalve handle 21.

If it is desired, however, to charge a system with refrigerant in liquidform, the container 10 is positioned as shown in Fig. 2 and is supportedby the collar 25 in upright position with the end margin 32 inengagement with the supporting surface. The valve handle 21 isaccessible for manual operation through the opening 26 with thecontainer 10 supported in a stable condition by the collar 25.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, a plurality of the containers 10 in accordancewith the invention can be readily stacked, one above the other and withthe end margin 32 of the collar 25 in direct engagement with an end head14 interiorly of the flange 23.

The container 10 may be readily moved, as desired, by inserting thefingers either interiorly Within the collar 25 or exteriorly of thecollar through the handle slot 28 and in engagement with the handle rim31 to move the container 10 to the desired location and position foruse.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing container for pressurized dispensing refrigerant inliquid form, a fluid tight container having opposite ends, at least oneof said ends having a longitudinally axially disposed extensiontherefrom of lesser diameter than the container for supporting saidcontainer with said one end downwardly disposed for liquid refrigerantdispensing, said extension having a side access opening therein, and adispensing valve disposed within said extension and mounted on said oneof said ends, said dispensing valve having a discharge connectionextending sidewise with respect to the longitudinal axis of theextension and towards said access opening, said valve having anoperating handle spaced inwardly from the outer marginal edge of theextension, said extension being of a length with respect to the lengthof said valve to permit manual access to said valve handle through saidaccess opening with said container supported by said extension and withsaid valve handle downwardly disposed.

2. In a dispensing container for dispensing pressurized refrigerant inliquid form, a fluid tight container having opposite ends, at least oneof said ends having a longitudinally axially disposed collar securedthereto and extending therefrom for supporting said container with saidone end downwardly disposed for liquid refrigerant dispensing, saidcollar having a side access opening therein, and a dispensing valvedisposed within said collar and mounted on said one of said ends, saiddispensing valve having a discharge connection extending sidewise withrespect to the longitudinal axis of said collar and towards said accessopening, said valve having an operating portion spaced longitudinallyinwardly from the outer marginal edge of said collar, said extensionbeing of a length with respect to the length of said valve to permitmanual access to said valve portion through said access opening withsaid container supported by said extension and with said valvedownwardly disposed.

3. In a dispensing container for dispensing pressurized refrigerant ingaseous or in liquid form, a fluid tight container having opposite ends,longitudinally axially disposed hollow container supporting extensionsof different diameters than said container extending from said ends, oneof said extensions supporting said container for dispensing refrigerantin gaseous form and one of said extensions supporting said container fordispensing refrigerant in liquid form, a dispensing valve connected tosaid container and disposed within one of said extensions, said oneextension having a side access opening extending from said one end tothe outer marginal edge thereof, and a dispensing valve mounted on saidone end Within said extension and having a discharge connectionextendlng sidewise with respect to the longitudinal axis of said oneextension and towards said access opening, said valve being disposeddownwardly for dispensing refrigerant in liquid form, said valve havingan operating handle spaced inwardly from the outer marginal edge of saidextension for manual access through said access opening when saidcontainer has said extension in supporting relation thereto with itsouter marginal edge in engagement with a supporting surface, saidextension being of a length with respect to the length of said valve topermit manual access to said valve handle through said access openingwith said container supported by one of said extensions with said valvehandle disposed downwardly.

4. In a dispensing container for dispensing pressurized refrigerant inliquid form or in gaseous form, a fluid tight container having oppositeends, longitudinally axially disposed hollow container supportingextensions of difierent diameters and of lesser diameter than saidcontainer connected to and extending from said ends, one of saidextensions supporting said container for dispensing refrigerant inliquid form and one of said extensions sup porting said container fordispensing refrigerant in gaseous form, a dispensing valve connected toone of said container ends and disposed within one of said extensions,said one extension having a side access opening extending from said oneend to the outer marginal edge thereof, said dispensing valve having adischarge connection extending sidewise with respect to the longitudinalaxis of said one extenson and towards said access opening, said valvehaving an operating handle spaced inwardly from the outer marginal edgeof said one extension for manual access through said access opening whensaid container has said extension in supporting relation thereto withits outer marginal edge in engagement with a supporting surface, andsaid one extension having a handle opening therethrough opposite saidaccess opening, said extension being of a length with respect to thelength of said valve to permit manual access to said valve handlethrough said access opening with said container supported by one of saidextensions with said valve handle disposed downwardly.

5. In a dispensing container for selectively dispensing pressurizedrefrigerant in liquid or gaseous form, a fluid tight container having aninterior liquid containing space and having exteriorly disposed thereonand secured to each of its opposite ends and extending therefrom alongitudinally axially disposed supporting collar, each of said collarshaving a supporting end face for supporting said container with aselected one of said ends'downwardly disposed, a dispensing valvecommunicating with said space and an operating member therefor mountedon one of said ends, said dispensing valve having a discharge outlet forthe connection of delivery piping, one of said collars supporting saidcontainer for liquid discharge from said space and the other of saidcollars supporting said container for gas discharge from said space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,544,098 Mauran June 30, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 478,743 Italy Mar. 4,1953 514,045 Belgium Sept. 30, 1952

